Bulk liquid transport system

ABSTRACT

A transport tank system includes a molded thermoplastic tank defining an aperture therethrough and having a discharge end and an opposing end, the thermoplastic tank being rigidly configured for holding a consumable cargo received through the aperture and including a material resistant to passage of oxygen to preserve the consumable cargo. The tank is capable of standing alone for storing the consumable cargo, or the tank can be loaded into a standard dry box container to convert the dry box container into a bulk liquid transport container.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of, and claimspriority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/105,025, filed Apr. 17,2008, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/737,651, filed Apr. 18, 2007, incorporated byreference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

A variety of procedures and systems are used to transport liquids inbulk quantities. For instance, vehicles designed for liquid transportare available in motor, sea and rail transport forms. A drawback to thistype of liquid cargo transport is backhaul, which occurs in the industrybecause cargo is carried by the vehicle on the chance that the cargowill have to be carried in both directions of a trip. More specifically,backhaul occurs because a vehicle designed exclusively for liquid cargocannot be used for other types of cargo. Therefore, backhaul reduces theproductivity of the vehicle.

Attempts have been made to use general purpose vehicles for transport ofliquid cargo. One known method is to secure a deformable liner to innerwalls of a cargo vehicle. The bottom of the liner rests on the floor ofthe vehicle. As the vehicle is loaded, the liquid presses the lineragainst the floor and walls thus filling the vehicle. While useful forsome types of cargo, this method is undesirable for food or otherproducts that may be susceptible to contamination or spoiling.Additionally, since the cargo is unrestrained in the liner-generalpurpose vehicle, any movement of the vehicle may cause a surging weightshift that can destabilize the vehicle. Baffles have been used to reducethe surging problem in this type of container, but the baffles increasethe cost of the liner. Baffles also increase transport surface areaexposed to the cargo, which increases the possibility of contamination.Moreover, baffles ultimately have a relatively limited effect on surgingdue to the high mass of most liquid cargos.

Flexitank or pillow containers have been developed that are sealed toprevent exposure to ambient air. These flexitank containers typicallyhave air pockets which allow surging when the vehicle is in motion.However, bulkheads are often required to hold the ends of the bags inplace when vehicle doors are opened. Also, bulkheads are typicallyexpensive and time consuming to install, and often, approval fromgovernment agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration isrequired to use flexitanks. Moreover, when transporting food stuffs orother consumable items, flexitanks often require inner liners, which addto their cost.

As shown in FIG. 7, when attempting to convert and utilize aconventional transport system 701 to carry a liquid cargo, a dry boxshipping container 703 usually must be lined with plastic or cardboard705 prior to the installation of the flexitank 707 in order to preventpunctures and leakage of the flexitank 707. If the flexitank 707 ispunctured, or if a seal breaks, an entire cargo can be lost due todrainage.

As is evident from FIG. 7, the flexitank 707 when fully filled can placeextreme stresses on the walls of the dry box shipping container 703,which can cause the walls and doors to blow out during transport. Thisis extremely prevalent during rail voyages where rail cars are shunted.Total losses of such dry box shipping containers are not uncommon withclaims and damages ultimately being incurred by the shippers and costspassed on to consumers.

In addition to the foregoing problems, due to ensuing and expensiveenvironmental cleanup issues, many steamship lines simply have bannedthe use of the flexitank or pillow containers.

Shipment of bulk liquids has also been attempted by loading the liquidinto drums and securing the drums inside the transport vehicles. Whilethis approach tends to reduce exposure to air, which may contaminatesome cargo, this method has proven to be unsuitable for most food itemssince avoiding metal contact with food items is practically impossibleand contamination is nevertheless possible.

Yet a further disadvantage of using drums for liquid cargo shipment isthe high cost entailed. The drums themselves are expensive, and filling,loading and unloading each drum are expensive, labor consumingactivities. Additionally, as the drums are loaded onto the vehicle, theymust be restrained, or else movement of the vehicle may cause the drumsto be damaged or overturned in transit. Thus, the cost of using drums isincreased further due to the need to provide pallets on which to securethe drums during transit. More specifically, the cost of the pallets andfumigation become part of the cost of the cargo. Also, the space takenby the pallets during the trip reduces the amount of usable cargo space.Finally, the drums themselves must be disposed of or returned at the endof each transit.

Another attempt to ship bulk liquid, viscous, or powder cargo has beento use containers approved by the International Organization forStandardization (ISO). However, these stainless steel ISO containers arevery expensive and to be commercially viable, they require thousands ofshipments and must be amortized over decades. Additionally, invariablyrepositioning and repairing ISO containers incur substantial costs. Alltold, the high costs associated with ISO containers ultimately add tothe cost of the cargo.

While addressing the basic desirability of using general purposetransport vehicles to move bulk cargo, such as liquid, the prior art hasfailed to provide a single bulk transport system, which is inexpensiveto manufacture and is durable enough to be cleaned and reused. Asolution must also be robust enough to prevent leakages and not putundue stress on dry box shipping container walls and doors. Moreover, abulk cargo transport system is also needed in the shipping industry thatcan pay for itself in three to four shipments and can be amortized overabout three to six months as opposed to, e.g., 20 years.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed in general to a bulk cargo transporttank or container. The components of the container are simple tomanufacture, install and use.

In general, the bulk cargo transport container maybe formed of a rigidmaterial in a variety of shapes; e.g., cylindrical, semi-cylindrical orarcuate, rectangular or otherwise as required by the industry. Thecontainer may also be constructed using a single layer or co-extrudedlayers of material and is suitable for a wide variety of uses includingfood, chemical and industrial liquid transport. The container meets andexceeds FDA/EC food grade certifications and is Kosher certified.

The stability of the bulk liquid transport container may be enhanced byvarying thicknesses of the rigid material and for by molding a convexupper surface and/or reinforcing members on or into the container toincrease strength and to reduce surging of liquid cargo, for instance,when the container is being transported.

The container may be filled under pressure by venting air from a ventlocated on a top surface of the container. A bottom surface of thecontainer may be cylindrical or square in order to allow for maximumpayload. The container may be manufactured with a slight incline towardsa discharge end to allow complete discharge of the product. Vent, filland discharge connections may be located at a rear area, such as a reardoor area of an outer dry box container, for easy access and workersafety. The container may further include a manlid clean out port foraccessing and cleaning an interior of the container after a cargoshipment.

More particularly, in one aspect of the disclosure, a transport tanksystem includes a vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank defining an aperturetherethrough and having a discharge end and an opposing end, thedischarge and opposing ends disposed opposite each other to define afirst major axis of the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank, a first minoraxis defined between the discharge and opposing ends substantiallyperpendicular to the first major axis, the vacuum-formed thermoplastictank being rigidly configured for holding a consumable cargo receivedthrough the aperture; and a transport container having a second majoraxis and a second minor axis, the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank beingdisposed in the transport container, the second major and minor axesbeing respectively complementary to the first major and minor axes ofthe vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank, the vacuum-formed tank beingfurther configured for discharge of the consumable cargo.

In this aspect the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank may be cylindricalin shape.

Also in this aspect the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank may include atleast one arcuate surface.

Further in this aspect the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank may includea material resistant to passage of oxygen.

Also in this aspect the material may include an ethylene vinyl alcoholcopolymer resin. Further the material may be disposed on an internalsurface of the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank, the internal surfacebeing in contact with the consumable cargo.

Further in this aspect the first major axis is longer than the firstminor axis of the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect the opposing end may be disposed above the dischargeend to define an incline, the incline being configured to empty theconsumable cargo from the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Further in this aspect the aperture may be a fill connection device.

Also in this aspect the transport container may be a dry box shippingcontainer, the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank being configured toconvert the dry box shipping container into a bulk liquid shippingcontainer.

Further in this aspect the transport container may include a pluralityof interior surfaces defining an interior space therein, thevacuum-formed thermoplastic tank being configured to mate against theinterior surfaces to occupy the interior space such that thevacuum-formed thermoplastic tank is immobilized in the transportcontainer.

Also in this aspect a vent may be attached to the vacuum-formedthermoplastic tank, the vent being in communication with an internalsurface of the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank and being configured tovent air from the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank for filling thevacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect an inflatable device may be disposed on the internalsurface, the inflatable device being configured to further vent the airfrom the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank. The inflatable device may bemade of a polyethylene material and is further configured for deflationafter the air has been vented from the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Further in this aspect a discharge connection may be attached to thevacuum-formed thermoplastic tank, the discharge connection being incommunication with an internal surface of the vacuum-formedthermoplastic tank, the discharge connection being configured to emptythe consumable cargo from the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect a port may be attached to the vacuum-formedthermoplastic tank, the port being in communication with an internalsurface of the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank for cleaning thevacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Further in this aspect a pallet assembly may be formed integrally withthe vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect a barrier wrapper may be disposed about thethermoplastic tank.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a method of forming a transporttank system includes providing a thermoplastic material; heating thethermoplastic material until the thermoplastic material is malleable;placing the heated thermoplastic material into a tank mold; vacuumforming the heated thermoplastic material into a shape complementary tothe tank mold; and cooling the shape into vacuum-formed thermoplastictank for consumable products.

Also in this aspect the thermoplastic material may be a sheet ofthermoplastic material or may be a plurality of thermoplastic pellets,or a combination thereof.

Further in this aspect the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank may includea material resistant to passage of oxygen. The material may include anethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin.

Also in this aspect the tank mold may include a plurality of depressionsdefined therein, the depressions forming a plurality of reinforcingmembers in the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Further in this aspect the tank mold may include a plurality ofdepressions defined therein, the depressions forming a plurality ofsteps or handholds in the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect the tank mold may include a plurality of depressionsdefined therein, the depressions forming a pallet assembly integral tothe vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank, the pallet assembly having aplurality of openings therein for receipt of respective tines of aforklift for moving the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Further in this aspect the tank mold may be configured to form anincline to facilitate unloading the consumable product.

Also in this aspect the method may include attaching one of a vent, aconnection or a hatch to the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect the method may include a heating device formaintaining a predetermined temperature of the consumable product.

Also in this aspect the method may include inserting a bladder in thevacuum-formed thermoplastic tank, the bladder being configured forinflation to vent air from the vacuum-formed thermoplastic tank duringfilling of the consumable products.

Also in this aspect the method may include injecting air into the tankmold while vacuum forming the heated thermoplastic material.

Also in this aspect the method may include inserting a thermoplasticsheet into the mold to reinforce a section of the vacuum-formedthermoplastic tank.

In a further aspect of the disclosure, a transport tank system mayinclude an arcuate-shaped thermoplastic tank defining an aperturetherethrough and having a discharge end. and an opposing end, thedischarge and opposing ends disposed opposite each other to define afirst major axis of the thermoplastic tank, a first minor axis definedbetween the discharge and opposing ends substantially perpendicular tothe first major axis, the thermoplastic tank being rigidly configuredfor holding a consumable cargo received through the aperture andincluding a material resistant to passage of oxygen to preserve theconsumable cargo.

Also in this aspect the thermoplastic tank may be a vacuum-formedthermoplastic tank.

Further in this aspect the thermoplastic tank may be a rotomoldedthermoplastic tank.

Also in this aspect the material may include an ethylene vinyl alcoholcopolymer resin.

Further in this aspect the thermoplastic tank may include a plurality ofreinforcing members configured to increase a rigidity of thethermoplastic tank; the thermoplastic tank being configured forstand-alone storage of the consumable cargo or for shipping theconsumable cargo.

Also in this aspect the thermoplastic tank may include a componentselected from the group consisting of an air vent, a hatch, a handhold,a filling-discharge connection and a heating device.

This aspect may include a metal transport container, the thermoplastictank being disposed in the transport container.

In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method of utilizing atransport tank system includes providing at least two polymeric tanks;stacking one of the polymeric tanks on the other polymeric tank; andfilling each of the polymeric tanks with respective bulk consumablecargo.

The method may also include vacuum-forming the polymeric tanks.

The method may also include forming a respective stacking element and anopposing depression on each of the polymeric tanks, the respectivestacking elements and depressions being configured to mate with eachother to stack one of the polymeric tanks on the other polymeric tank.

The method may also include storing the bulk consumable cargo in thepolymeric tanks.

The method may also include placing the polymeric tanks in a shippingcontainer.

Other advantages of various embodiments of the disclosure will beapparent from the following description and the attached drawings or canbe learned through practice of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure, including the best mode thereof to oneskilled in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder ofthe specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transport system particularly showinga container in a dry box (in phantom) according to an aspect of thedisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway, perspective view of a container accordingto another aspect of the disclosure particularly showing variousmaterials that may be used to manufacture the container;

FIG. 3 is a front, elevational view of a container system according to afurther aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway, side elevational view of the containersystem as in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a container according to an additionalaspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an exemplary manufacturing process linefor a container according to yet another aspect of the disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is partially cutaway, perspective view of a conventional shippingsystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Detailed reference will now be made to the drawings in which examples ofthe present disclosure are shown. The detailed description usesnumerical and letter designations to refer to features of the drawings.Like or similar designations of the drawings and description have beenused to refer to like or similar parts of the disclosure.

The drawings and detailed description provide a full and writtendescription of examples of the disclosure, and of the manner and processof making and using these examples, so as to enable one skilled in thepertinent art to make and use them, as well as the best mode of carryingout the disclosure. The examples set forth in the drawings and detaileddescription are provided by way of explanation only and are not meant aslimitations of the disclosure. The present disclosure thus includes anymodifications and variations of the following examples as come withinthe scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

The figures that are about to be described in detail generally show bulkcargo shipping systems, which generally include a molded, thermo-formedor vacuum-formed container (also referred to herein as a tank or“bottle”). The bulk cargo shipping systems may also include external dryboxes in which the container may fit with minimal clearance to maximizeshipping space and to immobilize the container during shipment. Theseand other advantages and benefits will be better understood from thefollowing description and exemplary methods of operation.

With reference now to FIG. 1, according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure, a transport container system is designated in general by theelement number 10 and may include a container 12 that may be used fortransporting or storing liquid, powder or other bulk product or cargo(see, e.g., liquid cargo 105, FIG. 2). The container 12 itself may beinserted and transported in a conventional stainless steel trailer ordry box 14 (depicted in phantom for clarity). As shown, the container 12includes an upper surface or layer 16, which may be convex or arcuate,and may further include an opposing bottom surface 18 that may berectangular or square. These and other shapes and arrangements can serveto maximize cargo payload and to increase structural integrity asdiscussed in greater detail below.

As further shown in FIG. 1, a discharge end 20 and an opposing end 22define an incline 24 depicted by angle θ, which slants or slopes upwardfrom the discharge end 20 to the opposing end 22 to facilitategravitational product discharge. In this example, the angle θ of theincline 24 is about 50 degrees as measured from the discharge end 20 tothe opposing end 22 relative to horizontal. The skilled artisan willrecognize that the angle θ may be more or less than 50 degrees asrequired. For instance, an increased angle θ may facilitate more rapidproduct discharge. Additionally, or in the alternative, the container 12may be equipped with pressure discharge capability of about 0.25 BAR(3.675 PSI) to further facilitate discharge of thick, viscous productsby forcing the product out the discharge valve. For example, a dischargeconnection 32, or a separate valve system, may include this pressuredischarge capability. The skilled artisan will understand, of course,that the discharge connection 32 may be capable of pressure dischargemore or less than 0.25 BAR as required.

FIG. 1 further shows that the container 12 may include a hatch or manlid26, which can be used for personnel to access an interior of thecontainer 12. For instance, a sufficiently large hatch 26 may bedesirable to inspect the interior or to install various devices, e.g.,thermometers, viscosity sensors, etc. (not shown) for cargo monitoringpurposes. By way of example, a suitable manlid that may be used as thehatch 26 is disclosed by Podd in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/357,521, filed Feb. 17, 2006, which is incorporated by referencethereto.

Also shown in FIG. 1, a fill connection 28 is provided for attaching ahose or line for filling the container 12 with liquid or powered cargo.A vent connection 30 is located at or near the upper surface 16 at ornear the discharge end 20 to permit trapped air in the container 12 toescape and to permit the container 12 to be filled as fully as possible.Also as shown in this example, the discharge connection 32 is located inor near the bottom surface 18 of the discharge end 20 to leverage theincline 24 to facilitate complete product discharge.

FIG. 1 also shows a manlid clean out port 34. The manlid clean out port34 may differ from the hatch 26 in that the manlid clean out port 34 maybe larger in circumference than the hatch 26 and/or the manlid clean outport 34 may be configured to require at least two people for operationto ensure personnel safety. Likewise, one or more steps or handholds 36may be formed in or attached to the container 12 for easy access by andsafety of workers. In general, therefore, vent, fill and dischargeconnections may be located at a readily accessible rear area such as inthis example for worker safety. However, it will be understood that theexemplary arrangement shown in FIG. 1 can be adjusted to meet variousgovernment regulations and customer requirements.

Also shown in FIG. 1, the container 12 includes a pallet assembly 38,which may be formed integrally with the container 12. Additionally, orin the alternative, the pallet assembly 38 may be attached to thecontainer 12 by adhesives, latches, nuts, screws, bolts and the like. Asshown in this example, the pallet assembly 38 may have one or moreopenings or apertures 40, 42 to receive tines of a forklift (not shown)for moving the container 12. Accordingly, the container 12 does notrequire a conventional pallet and straps.

Also in the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of cargo level gauges ormarkers 44 may be molded onto or into, or painted, or otherwise attachedto the container 12 to assist stevedores and loadmasters with judgingcargo quantities. In this regard, an opaque or substantially clearthermoplastic may be utilized to manufacture the container 12, whichwill readily show the loaded cargo relative to the markers 44. On theother hand, a black or other dark color may be desired for the container12 to shield the cargo from harsh light. Thus, only a relatively smalllevel gauge 44 such as a polycarbonate sight glass may be used toindicate a liquid level. These and other exemplary manufacturingprocesses for manufacturing the container 12 are discussed in detailbelow with respect to FIG. 6.

The container 12 may also include a plurality of reinforcing members 46as shown in FIG. 1 to increase rigidity and durability of the container12. According to this example, the reinforcing members 46 are spaced aspecific distance apart from each other and may run horizontally orvertically, but those skilled in the art will understand and appreciatethat the reinforcing members 46 may be spaced farther apart or closertogether and may themselves have different widths and shapes other thanas shown in the example of FIG. 1. Also, a thickness or thicknesses ofthe container 12 may be increased or decreased as discussed below withrespect to FIG. 2; thus, the number of reinforcing members 46 may beadjusted accordingly. Also as discussed with respect to FIG. 5, ridges,dimples or other reinforcing members 346 may be utilized in addition toor in place of the reinforcing members 46. Thus, the thickness(es) ofthe container 12, the reinforcing members 46 and/or the ridges 346 canserve to increase rigidity and durability of the container 12 and endowit with stand-alone capability for consumable cargo storage or forshipping the consumable cargo.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the container 12 is shown insertedin the dry box 14, briefly introduced above, which may convert the drybox 14 into an economical bulk liquid shipping container. As shown, thedry box 14 includes one or more cargo doors 64, which open into aplurality of interior surfaces 66, such as walls, a floor and a ceiling.The interior surfaces 66 define an interior space 68 in which thecontainer 12 sits securely. More specifically, the exterior surfaces ofthe container 12 may mate against the interior surfaces 66 to immobilizethe container 12 during shipment and also to utilize maximum cargospace. As noted above, the vents, fill and discharge connections, andhatches of the container 12 may be located near the cargo doors 64 forworker safety and convenience.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an alternative tank system 110 is shown. Manycomponents and devices of this exemplary system are the same or similarto those of the previous examples; therefore, while some components andaspects are discussed below, reference is made to the foregoingembodiments for a full and enabling description of like or similarcomponents not explicitly discussed.

In the example of FIG. 2, an inflatable device 148, such as a tube orbladder made from polyethylene (PE) for example, is disposed on aninternal surface 152 of a tank 112. The inflatable device 148 mayinclude, or is in communication with, an inflation/deflation device 150,which is used to inflate the inflatable device 148. Accordingly, amaximum volume of the tank 112 may be filled with the cargo to increaseefficiency and reduce shipping costs. Moreover, the inflatable device148 may serve as a baffle to prevent the liquid cargo 105 from“sloshing” in the tank 112, which can be harmful during shipping iftanks begin sloshing and create a harmonic rolling effect that mayadversely affect the transport ship, train or the like. After the tank112 is emptied, the device 148 can be deflated using the deflationdevice 150.

An inset of FIG. 2 most clearly shows an enlarged cutaway section of thetank 112. As shown, at least a portion of an exterior surface 154 of thetank 112 is made of a durable and weather-resistant material such as PE(e.g., high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or low-density polyethylene(LDPE)) or polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), hardened rubber,fiberglass, nylon, polyoxymethylene (i.e., acetal plastic (POM)),polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or anynatural or synthetic materials such as thermoplastics, or theircombinations, which are suitable for a punishing shipping environment.In one aspect, the exterior surface 154 may have a thickness of about ¼of an inch to about 1 inch, preferably at least about ½ of an inch orless. Other thicknesses can be provided to meet specific requirements,and as noted above, thicknesses can be varied throughout the tank 112;for instance, the surface 154 may be relatively thicker near a bottom118 and relatively thinner near a top 116 of the tank 112.

More specifically, a relatively large tank for storing and shippingliquids can be made from a polymeric material such as polyethylenebecause a PE tank can be efficiently manufactured, such as by blowmolding or vacuum-forming, and the polymeric tank is lightweight. Also,a co-extruded layer of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) resin orsimilar layer of material having a high barrier to oxygen may be used inthe container 112 to prevent adversely affecting the taste of theproduct contained within the container 112. EVOH, for instance, is knownfor its gas barrier properties and its resistance to solvents, chemicalsand the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, a permeation barrier 156 may havemultiple layers including, for instance, an oxygen barrier such as EVOH,depicted here as layer 158, a layer of adhesive 160, and a layer ofpolymeric material 162 such as PE. As shown, the permeation barrier 156is disposed on the internal surface 152 of the tank 112 to be in contactwith a consumable cargo 105 to prevent adversely affecting the taste ofwine, juices, dairy or other consumable liquids or foods, which mightoccur due to oxygen permeation of PE without a layer 158.

As shown in FIG. 2, the layer 158 is between about 0.001 millimeters toabout 5 millimeters to meet more or less stringent permeationrequirements. The exemplary EVOH resin is available, for instance, underthe brand name EVAL from EVAL Europe N.V. in Zwijndrecht, Belgium,although comparable sources may be substituted. Again, although EVOH isused as the layer 158, any resin or material with suitable gas barrierproperties can be substituted for the layer 158. The entire bulk liquidtransport system may also be sealed inside a foil laminate or other typeof barrier wrapper 194 to protect against exterior contamination. Such awrapper is available from Powertex of Rouses Point, N.Y. under the brandname Powerfoil.

The layer 158 shown in FIG. 2 can be applied to the internal surface 152of the tank 112 by a spraying process, a lamination process, a dip/bathprocess, a (co-) extrusion process, a molding process, a vacuum-formingprocess, an adhesive process and the like. For instance, the layer 158may be co-extruded with the PE material 162 to protect the EVOH fromwear. The layer of adhesive 160 may also be co-extruded and disposedbetween the layers 158, 162 to adhere the PE and EVOH together since PEand EVOH are not chemically bonded. An adhesive suitable as the adhesive160 is available under the brand name ADMER GT6E resin from MitsuiChemicals Europe GmbH of Duesseldorf, Germany. However, it is to benoted that any comparable adhesive suitable for adhering the layers 158,162 together can be used according to the present invention. It is againto be further noted that although the layers 158, 162 are co-extruded,other processes such as laminations, baths, sprays, overmolding, and thelike can be used to form the multi-layer permeation barrier 156.

As further shown in FIG. 2, a heating pad or a plurality of heatingstrips 165 may be attached to or embedded in or near a bottom surface118 of the tank 112. The pad 165 may include a plurality of heated watertubes or electrical strips, either of which is configured to supply asufficiently high temperature to maintain viscosity of, for instance, asyrup cargo without affecting the material makeup of the tank 112 orheat the cargo prior to discharge.

With reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a further exemplary embodiment of atank transport system 210 is provided. Once again, many components ofthis embodiment are the same or similar to elements or components of theprevious examples; therefore, some components are discussed below andreference is made to the foregoing embodiments for a full and enablingdescription of like or similar components not otherwise discussed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tank transport system 210 may include apolymeric tank 212 for transporting and/or storing bulk cargo, such asliquids and powders. Although the tank 212 is manufactured of a rigid,durable polymeric material and is capable of stand-alone use, the tank212 may also be used with and transported in a shipping container 214.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the tank 212 may be a vacuum-formedthermoplastic tank, which is substantially cylindrical in shape in thisexample. As shown, the tank 212 has a major axis 270 and a minor axis272; i.e., the exemplary tank 212 is longer horizontally thanvertically. As further shown, the shipping container 214 has a second,complementary major axis 271, and a second, complementary minor axis273, which are respectively co-axial with the major and minor axes 270,272 of the tank 212. Although space appears between the tank 212 and theshipping container 214 in FIG. 4, it will be appreciated that the spaceis exaggerated merely to show the axes 270, 271, 272, 273 most clearly.

Turning now to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment of a tank transportsystem 310 is shown, which includes a tank 312. As above, manycomponents of this embodiment are the same or similar to elements orcomponents of the previous examples; therefore, some components arediscussed below and reference is made to the foregoing embodiments for afull and enabling description of like or similar components nototherwise discussed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tank 312 is manufactured of a rigid, durablepolymeric material such as PE. The walls and surfaces 316, 318, 320 and322 are at least about 1/inch in thickness in this example but can bethicker or thinner in various areas such as corner pressure points inorder to use the tank 312 standing alone as shown for cargo storage orshipping. As discussed relative to the foregoing embodiments, however,the tank 312 may be used with and transported in a dry box, such as theshipping container 214 shown in FIG. 4.

As further shown in FIG. 5 and briefly introduced above with respect toFIG. 1, the tank 312 may have ridges, dimples or other reinforcingmembers 346. The members 346 can be molded or attached in a variety ofshapes and manners to increase rigidity and durability of the container312 as discussed above. Moreover, the members 346 can be formed toenable a plurality of tanks 312 to be stacked one on top of the other toconserve and maximize limited cargo space. Accordingly, for instance,one tank 312 may carry wine while another tank 312 (shown in phantom forclarity) may carry a powder cargo in the same shipping container.

Additionally, in a further aspect of the disclosure, at least two emptytanks 312 may fit in a forty foot container for empty repositioning.This is of course a function of the sizes of the tanks 312 and the typeof container that may be used to reposition the tanks 312. For example,an insulated, refrigerated container (i.e., a reefer), which although insome ways similar to the dry box 14 discussed above, may requirerelatively small tanks 312 since an internal width of the reefer mayonly be about 88 inches, versus 92 inches in the standard dry box 14.Accordingly, the tanks 312 may be sized to fit inside a 40 foot reeferand/or may be placed sideways in the reefer for empty repositioning.Alternatively, if the tanks 312 are each about 92 inches wide, the tanks312 may be turned on their sides to allow two of them to fit into an 88inch wide reefer.

The disclosure may be better understood with reference to exemplarymanufacturing processes.

As broadly shown in FIG. 6, a tank 412 may be manufactured by rotationalmolding (rotomolding), injection molding, blow molding, vacuumingforming or the like. By way of example, the rotomolding process maybegin with a quality cast or fabricated mold, which is placed in arotomolding machine. Pre-measured plastic resin such as HDPE is loadedinto the mold and moved into an oven (see, e.g., heater 476) where theHDPE is slowly rotated on both vertical and horizontal axes. The meltingHDPE resin sticks to the hot mold and evenly coats every surface of themold unless otherwise required, e.g., to form various thicknesses.Lastly, the rotomolded shell is moved to a cooling area where it iscooled and released from the mold and sent to the staging or finishingarea.

Rotational speed, heating and cooling times are all controlledthroughout the foregoing process and each can be adjusted to modifycharacteristics of the tank 412. As noted above, the tank 412 can havediffering thicknesses in particular sections, for instance, about ¼ ofan inch of HDPE at a top edge and about ½ inch of HDPE at a bottomsurface.

As FIG. 6 most clearly shows, at stage 472 a plurality of thermoplasticsheets 470 or thermoplastic pellets 472 are provided. At stage 474, thethermoplastic 470, 472 is either heated to a desired temperature ormelted by a heater or heating source 476 to form a malleable sheet or amelted mixture. At stage 478, the thermoplastic 470, 472 is placed orpoured into a mold. In this example, the mold is a vacuum mold having abottom 480 and a top 482. As indicated by the arrows in stage 478, thebottom 480 and the top 482 are pressed together with the heatedthermoplastic 470, 472 therein. At stage 484, the heated thermoplasticis vacuum formed into a shape complementary to the bottom 480 and thetop 482 of the tank mold. More specifically, a vacuum-blower device 486vacuums the thermoplastic 470, 472 from both the bottom 480 and the top482 while simultaneously blowing air into the mold to form the hollowinterior of the tank 412.

At stage 488, the vacuum-formed tank 412 is removed from the mold andcooled. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the bottom 480 and thetop 482 of the mold may be formed with depressions, projections and thelike 440, 446 to create respective ridges, dimples, apertures,reinforcing members and the like in the tank 412 as discussed in detailwith respect to FIG. 5 above.

At stage 490 in FIG. 6, various hatches, clean-out ports, filling anddischarge connections, handholds and the like, generally indicated byreference numerals 426, 428, 430, 432, 434 may be attached to orinserted in the apertures of the formed tank 412.

With more particular reference to one aspect shown in FIG. 6, thethermoplastic 470 may be at least two sheets of thermoplastic materialthat are each about ½ inch in thickness at stage 474. After heating thetwo sheets 470 at 474 and inserting the malleable sheets into the moldat stage 478, the sheets 470 are respectively vacuumed from the bottom480 and a top 482 while air is blown between them to vacuum form thesheets into the tank 412 in approximately five (5) minutes. In thisexample, after stretching and filling the mold, the sheets 470 and thusthe formed tank 412 is about ⅛ of an inch in thickness. However, asdiscussed in detail above, the initial sheets 470 may be thicker orthinner than ½ inch as desired to achieve a different finished tankthickness. Moreover, the mold and/or the thermoplastic commodity may bevaried in thickness to achieve different thicknesses at different pointsin the finished tank 412, such as greater thicknesses at corner pointsof the tank 412 to increase durability. Further, the tank 412 may beformed with sufficient thickness and thus strength such that no bulkheadis required. This is accomplished by inserting a solid plastic sheet 492into the mold before blowing to reinforce a door end or other desiredsection of the tank 412. Finally, one or more of the sheets 470 or aportion of the pellets 470 may include material resistant to passage ofoxygen, such as EVOH as discussed above.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, those skilledin the art will recognize that other changes and modifications may bemade to the foregoing examples without departing from the scope andspirit of the disclosure. For instance, various durable materials can beused for the tank as described herein and a variety of shapes andgeometries can be achieved using different molds. It is intended toclaim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A bulk transport system comprising: (a) a thermoplastic bulktransport tank comprising a discharge end and an opposing end oppositethe discharge end, and further comprising an upper surface defining amanhole therethough, a first major axis of the thermoplastic tank beingoriented longitudinally between the discharge end and the opposing endand a first minor axis of the thermoplastic tank being orientedtransverse to the first major axis and being disposed between thedischarge end and the opposing end, the discharge end beingsubstantially frustopyramidally shaped, having a planar base that isproximal to the opposing end, a terminal planar surface distal to theopposing end, and a discharge connection proximate to and extending fromthe base, the discharge end further having a first panel and acorresponding second panel located therein, the first panel beingrecessed from the terminal planar surface and the second panel beingcoincident with the terminal planar surface, the bulk transport tankbeing rigidly configured for holding a consumable cargo; and (b) atransport container having a second major axis and a second minor axis,the second major and minor axes being complementary to the first majorand minor axes of the bulk transport tank, the transport containerhaving walls, a floor, and a ceiling, thereby defining an interior spacefor receipt of the bulk transport tank.